A couple of weeks ago we expanded our collection of Japanese incense by adding a new incense maker, Awaji Island Koh-shi Incense. Awaji Island Koh-shi is a team of incense makers (koh-shi) that proudly belong to the Hyogo Prefecture Incense Cooperative. They pride themselves on upholding the strictest standards in the development of fragrances, methods of incense production, traditional techniques, and place of origin. Based on Awaji island where 70% of Japan's incense production occurs they take the history of the place seriously as they developed a unique line of incense that honors history. The team of 14 koh-shi have developed their own style and believe that whether at work, home, or play there is always room for incense.
One thing I really enjoyed about adding this new brand is that they have information on their website about the history of incense making on Awaji island. As you may know there is quite a long history of incense in Japan and much of it ties to spiritual practice. When being interviewed by a Japanese product distributor some time ago about the way in which Americans use incense it occurred to me that we may have very different reasons for using incense and I am sure some of that difference stems from historical context. Today I would like to share some of the history of incense making on Awaji Island with you.
Awaji Island is the leading manufacturer of incense in Japan, currently responsible for 70% of all of Japan's incense. The history extends back to 1850 in Ei of the city of Awaji in 1850 when Senshuu Sakai manufacturing technology was introduced. At the time, Ei was a military run trade port for the Tokushima Clan, which opened the door to the import and sale of raw materials used in making incense, not something yet common in Japan at the time. Over time, the incense made in Awaji Island became renowned throughout Japan. The main reason incense manufacturing took root in Awaji Island is because of the west wind, or nishi-kaze. This strong seasonal wind hampered the fishing industry, giving rise to the necessity for cottage industries such as incense making. This wind is also great for drying incense. As you can see skillful use of nature is the secret to Awaji Island's incense making. That skill and spirit have been passed on to the Awaji Island incense of today.
To learn more about how the incense industry took hold we need to learn a little more about the original production of incense on the island. The history of incense in the Awaji Island extends back to 1850 when, Tatsuzo Tanaka, who is from Ei of the city of Awaji, encountered the incense manufacturing technique in Senshu Sakai (which belonged to the current prefecture of Osaka). Tatsuzo Tanaka, spotting the potential of the incense he discovered in Osaka, returned to Ei with a skilled craftsman and began making incense from the raw material of “powdered cedar leaves” purchased from Awa, a region that belonged to the current prefecture of Tokushima.
As mentioned above, Ei was a military-run trade port for the Tokushima Clan, with military buildings and boat houses built around the area. There was heavy shipping traffic through the Port of Ei with most of the ships engaging in trade between Nagasaki and Hirado in Kyushu and Hyogo and Sakai. This waas furtuitous for Ei as it provided access to markets in Kyushu for most of its products, and raw materials that were transported by ship returning from Nagasaki.
The main reasons why incense manufacturing took root in Awaji Island were that:
(1) The climate was suitable for incense making in spite of it being bad for fishing;
(2) It was conveniently located for the import of raw materials and the final product transport;
(3) The strong seasonal wind hampered the ships leaving the port, giving rise to the necessity for cottage industries that were land based;
(4) Inexpensive labor was available among the sailors and the wives of fishermen’s families, as a side business during the slow farming seasons.
Awaji Island Koh-shi Incense is a cooperative of of "Koh-shi". Koh-shi is word for the person in charge of the entire process of incense making, from the mixing stage to the bundling stage. In other words, a koh-shi is an incense master. Awaji Island incense is born from traditional incense manufacturing methods, strict quality management and the skill and pride of the koh-shi. This is the deep world of incense that simply can not be imitated by modern mass production methods and each Koh-shi takes great pride in their personal approach to their incense making.
I have been impressed with the scents the koh-shi of this brand have achieved. Some are familiar scents such as the Fragrant Olive (osmanthus) But there are some very unique scents I have not seen elsewhere such as the Indian Ink, from the same line as the Fragrant Olive. There are also scents that honor place and time such as seasons. The Four Seasons Series features scents like Bay Wind and Spring Glory.
As the koh-shi would I invite you to explore their world of scents and the luxurious moments that Awaji Island Koh-shi incense will create for you.
